BS: Anyone been to or live in Gibraltar?

Subject: BS: Anyone been to or live in Gibraltar?
From: JenBurdoo
Date: 16 Mar 16 - 12:21 PM

I'm thinking of visiting Gibraltar at some point, and my thread last year asking about the music there was really helpful.

Any tips or suggestions? My main interest is military history, and looks from my research that Jewish history could stand looking into as well.

Any folk music? I've found references to a folk club, though it was founded in the '70s and may no longer exist. (But, hey, the Bermuda one is still around!)

Thanks for any thoughts!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone been to or live in Gibraltar?
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 16 Mar 16 - 02:27 PM

You will love the military history.
Get tours of the tunnels, and the embrasures facing Spain that were the brainchild of a sergeant with mining experience.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone been to or live in Gibraltar?
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 16 Mar 16 - 04:02 PM

Monkeys having sex, soldiers assassinating Irish dudes and locals putting xenophobia to another level.

Still, close to Spain and the sites of historical interest regarding the moors. (Allow four hours for border crossing.)

I suggest a pair of binoculars. If you stand on the rock, you can see Gibraltan fishing boats and Spanish gunboats showboating with each other. If you have a shortwave radio, you can hear them swearing in both languages and threatening each other.

Yeah, I am being cynical and I hope you enjoy it but it isn't quite the paradise of the advertising. Lots of political undercurrent and it spills over.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone been to or live in Gibraltar?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 16 Mar 16 - 04:07 PM

I've heard that it can be easier to get to Gibraltar from Morocco, and not from Spain. Can that be true?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone been to or live in Gibraltar?
From: JenBurdoo
Date: 16 Mar 16 - 04:42 PM

Joe, I was wondering about that. It looks like a popular option, probably because Tangier is a ferry-ride over the strait, whereas the nearest airport (Malaga) is 60 miles away. The catch is I don't speak Spanish, and I'd rather not travel through Spain at this early stage in my travelling career. My plan is to go from the US direct to London, then London to Gibraltar (looks like one hell of an airport though!). Way out of my way and it'd be a day each direction. But that would leave 5 to see the country on a week-long trip, which ought to be more than enough given my experience in Bermuda.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone been to or live in Gibraltar?
From: MartinRyan
Date: 16 Mar 16 - 05:07 PM

It's a strange place. I spent a few days there about five years ago - my son was supervising a major building project there at the time.

I take it you're an American, JenBurdoo? In a way it would be rather a pity to come at it from Morocco for the first time. It's the contrast with the rest of the peninsula that's so striking.

The history is fascinating (and complex - our taxi driver's mother had spent the war period in Northern Ireland, to which many were evacuated!).

The airport is a bit scary alright - the only other one I've come across with a level crossing for motor traffic was in the Shetland Islands.

Regards

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone been to or live in Gibraltar?
From: Amos
Date: 16 Mar 16 - 05:23 PM

I've only ever approached it from the sea, which is an impressive visual experience.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone been to or live in Gibraltar?
From: bubblyrat
Date: 16 Mar 16 - 07:38 PM

Me too , Amos ( 1968, aircraft carrier HMS Eagle ). A very impressive sight from seaward. We off-loaded , to the zoo, a monkey ,and a Brown Booby that had landed on the flight deck in a great storm off the West African coast.I thoroghly enjoyed our short visit to "Gib" and would happily go back again.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone been to or live in Gibraltar?
From: GUEST,MikeL2
Date: 17 Mar 16 - 02:37 PM

Hi Jen

I have been to Gibraltar several times. I have a second home in Spain and we drive down to Gibraltar occasionally.

Although it is a fair distance the drive is easy and pleasant. The motorways( autopistas) are great. Very little traffic. Although there are a few tolls they are not too pricy and you never have to wait.

We find that Gibraltar is fine in the daytime ( we have never had long waits to cross from Spain to Gibraltar but these days we usually park up in La Linea in Spain which is literally 10 minutes walk and you don't get stopped at all.) but a little dull in the evenings.

We find that there is live ( Spanish ) folk music in La Linea and the accommodation is plentiful and very reasonably priced.

The Spanish areas around are very good and we find the people extremely friendly and hospitable.

Lack of knowledge of Spanish should not be a problem but a good phrase book will be helpful.

Do go and enjoy it.

Regards

Mike

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone been to or live in Gibraltar?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 18 Mar 16 - 10:23 AM

Yep, the roads in Southern Spain are brilliant and only crowded in the big cities. Try to exclude Malaga airport from any of your plans - it's horrible! The adjacent part of Spain is very laid back and friendly. Andalucia can get extremely hot in summer. We were there for just seven days last July and the temperature exceeded 40°C on three days. Gibraltar's a bit cooler!

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone been to or live in Gibraltar?
From: Brian May
Date: 18 Mar 16 - 11:22 AM

I used to go to Gib regularly when transporting people or boxes on behalf of Her Majesty.

Despite the rhetoric above, it's a fascinating place.

The sense of history is palpable, the old grave yard with Trafalgar dead and others around the time. The passages in the rock - Ince Galleries? The walk (or cable-car) up the Rock is brilliant. If I were you, I WOULD buy a guide before you go and make some research first - it's worth it.

The views are to die for, take a few minutes to watch the seagulls (that nest on the precipitous cliffs) taking off - they just open their wings and then it looks like they're levitating.

The food was good - we used to eat down in the marina. These days you can cross into Spain, so you've got the best of both worlds.

Well worth a visit - have fun.

Subject: RE: BS: Anyone been to or live in Gibraltar?
From: GUEST,Musket
Date: 18 Mar 16 - 11:32 AM

I like Gib too. (I notice my good friend Musket wasn't too impressed but I had a week there once, a conference and Mrs Musket and I stayed on a few days.)

The positioning does seem to make it a little cooler than some of the surrounding Spain and everybody seemed welcoming, although I did find that entering a bar discussion about sovereignty isn't recommended, whatever your view....